NEWS IN BRIEF
KIMBERLEY The Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) has welcomed the renaming of Kimberley Hospital Complex to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital as announced by the Northern Cape premier during her State of the Province address.
Azapo provincial secretary George Manyakane believes that the Galeshewe Day Hospital, Sobukwe’s old law offices in Royal Street as well as House Number 6 in Naledi Street should be declared heritage sites, in consultation with the Sobukwe family and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC).
KAKAMAS A 30-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years’ effective imprisonment after being found guilty of armed robbery, kidnapping, the illegal possession of a firearm and theft of a motor vehicle following an a robbery at the OK Foods in Kakamas on December 19, 2016.
Olwethu Cekiso was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for a charge of armed robbery and six charges of robbery, four years’ imprisonment for a charge of kidnapping, four years for a charge of possession of firearm and ammunition and three years’ imprisonment for a charge of theft of a motor vehicle. The sentences will run concurrently.
GALESHEWE The South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) hosted a two-day training workshop for Grade 9 to 11 teachers at Thabane High School in Galeshewe.
The spokesperson of SAEON, Omphile Khutsoane, said that the aim of the workshop last week was to sharpen teachers understanding in science and technology.
“The programme encourages and equips teachers to creatively teach science and incorporate monitoring and data collecting in the classroom. The programme also focussed on how to apply Geographical Information System (GIS) to the real world and in practical scenarios,” said Khutsoane.
Khutsoane said that scientists from Pretoria conducted the training programme with 20 teachers from different schools.
NATIONAL FORMER ANC presidents such as Jacob Zuma, Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki will be roped in at Luthuli House to assist the governing party ahead of the general elections next year.
The party had resolved at its elective conference last year to deploy more staff on a full-time basis at its headquarters in Joburg.
“We are strengthening political education and cadre deployment.
“We will be inviting former presidents of the ANC to assist us.
“We will be approaching the presidents to ensure they are part of the body politic as we strengthen, renew and unite the ANC,” secretary-general Ace Magashule told reporters.
The party faces the mammoth task of reclaiming lost ground following the bruising 2016 local government elections where it lost control of three key municipal metros to opposition parties.
The full-time officials include former police minister Fikile Mbalula, who is head of elections; former party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa, who is taking over as head of the ANC presidency; and Senzo Mchunu, the former KwaZulu-Natal premier who now heads the organising committee.
Kodwa said that in accordance with party resolutions, deployment of ANC members to government would be reduced in order to boost capacity at Luthuli House.